Interior photography should be an olympic sport. There would be the sofa lifting component, the squatting competition, and the tensed muscles/breath holding element. Also, extremely pregnant ladies should automatically get a blue ribbon. I’m telling you this because I threw my back out whilst attempting a living room photo shoot, ostensibly to show off my new curtains.
Why would I choose the hardest room to shoot, praytell? I think we’ve already established that I am not always the most rational being. Ok, and I don’t want to shoot the very nearly finished rooms until they’re as close to done as possible, because I’m weird like that.
Meanwhile, the living room is never going to be done. It’s huge, has a difficult layout, and is frequently inhabited by small people and their tiny but obnoxious plastic toys. Fixing this room will cost a zillion dollar billz — largely spent on new seating, rugs, upholstery, built ins, and custom curtains. Oh, and I would also like a pile of money to swim in like Scrooge McDuck.
Just because.
Enough excuses. On with the show.
Hey, look at that — I have new curtains.
They came from the West Elm outlet, $130 total for all four panels. They are silk. They are sheer. They are not overwhelming and I like that. I probably need to hang them higher but I’m not in any hurry to nag Ben into conquering that relatively piddly task.
Dear jeebus that chesterfield needs to get out of there… but it’s so comfortable. Like sitting on your grandma’s lap and listening to bedtime stories about the good old days, albeit with crumbs and jelly smeared all over your ass.
Here is the back end of the room that I never show because it’s sorely under utilized and generally functions as a crap repository. You can see the unpainted hallway in the background… it’s not papered because I may have miscalculated the amount of paper I need to cover the space. May = definitely.
Kind of embarrassing back wall. Someday the tv may go back here. Or not. Until then I am unwilling to invest more than a few bucks jazzing up this space. What do you think: New chair upholstery (it needs to be resprung anyway)? Or maybe paint the mirror? New lamps? Rug shakeup?
I don’t know. Blank slate. I’m not planning to spend a lot of time worrying about it. I wish I could paint that wall a crazy color, but it would be weird with the other stuff going on around that space.
And there you have it. I just made myself totally depressed.
I am trying to remind myself that the room looks ever so much better than it did when we moved in less than a year ago:
Hahaahaaaaaaaaaaa.
In other news, Ike’s room is totes cute but I might buy him a new bed… Also it is insanely dark in there until about 7:30, which is bedtime. Hence the lack of pictures that might make me feel better about myself.
Master bedroom is looking cozy but needs art and bedding. Hopefully these things will happen over the weekend.
Front room looking kinda awesome but needs pillows… I am eyeing these but so far have been too cheap to pull the trigger:
Baby nursery is finally coming along, but I now have an unopened roll of Thibaut’s Cheetah wallpaper to sell:
I kept trying to make it work in there, but it felt like hammering a square peg into a round hole. Let me know if you want to buy it and I’ll ship it to you.
And finally, all the onesies are washed and blankies are folded. So if Baby X decides to squirt out of ladytown any time soon I am “prepared.”
As if.
Related posts:
I think it all looks great. Maybe not perfection yet, but definitely a lovely space and for sure 1000% better than before. Give yourself a little credit!
I’d go nuts and paint the back wall blue. I think it works with your art and your rug. But I just like painting walls blue.
Ready for baby? My sister’s came yesterday and she was not at all ready. I guess 10 days early will do that to you.
it is looking fiiiiiiine up in there! and i’m with naomi – looks like the room could handle a color on that back wall. i am still enormously smitten with your LR rug.
i would slay people for those pillows.
“…squirt out of ladytown…” just made my life.
You really are hard on yourself. That room is awesome! And why are you hating on the chesterfield? It looks great! Every single thing in that room is incredible, and the curtains are great. I do agree, and color like Gentlemans Gray or another moody blue on that back wall would look perfect. That mirror is to die for.
Thanks, y’all! I guess it’s better than it was. It’s just a really hard room to deal with.
Hmmmm… I do have a lot of blue paint left over. Stripes, maybe? Or framed and painted square a la Albert Hadley?
http://pinterest.com/pin/351912440992796/
YOU may be sick of looking at your back wall, but I was just about to pin its gorgeousness! I think we’re all more forgiving of others’ work than we are of our own. Unless they get paid gazillions of dollars to do it, then we judge harshly, and rightly so. And, having just shot my whole house getting ready to put it on the market, I think I would like to enter the ‘hold your breath and don’t shake the camera’ tournament. Maybe I could medal in ‘place the camera awkwardly low and shoot in such a way that you can only really see with your non-dominant eye’ category. xoxo
Erin! the room is wonderful! also, i am super jealous of the mirror on your back wall. i don’t think you need to change a thing! also, the framed & painted square is so you. please do it!
That back wall looks good! I wouldn’t paint the mirror, but I would hang it.
If your back wall is embarrassing than I may as well burn my own house down
Seriously, the things you do while pregnant…you’re like supernatural or something.
I am so incredibly jealous of those curtains. Did you happen to notice if they had any more when you were down in San Marcos? I’ve been meaning to make a trip, and this is giving me quite the push.
Not supernatural… I just know my free time is about to end. Forever.
Anne, they did have some (a few) more but when I bought them they were 30% off and I think the sale is over.
I think your room is super fresh. As well as your pictures – they always turn out so nice. You win the gold medal. You should teach an online class on how to take pictures of your house and not make it look like you live in a crack den of depravity. We could all have matching track suits…!!
An Albert Hadley Moment could be way fun.
Living room is looking good. I’m sure the chesterfield will go when you find some awesome chairs. And that mirror on the backwall is so painfully awesome it makes any wall done. I think the gold tree is making people want to paint it dark. Albert Hadley could be cool, or I’d hit it with a new runner, something bright coral/red, or some dope etageries for symmetrical height. But I never have enough storage……
I’d love me some chesterfield action! Unfortunately I live in a 1950′s building and they won’t fit up my narrow staircase. IKEA needs to come out with a chesterfield. You’d get a big box with two long flat pieces and a couple arms and bolt them all together when you got home. I’d buy it.
I love, love, love that back wall of yours. That mirror is to die for. Don’t paint it just hang it. I routinely stalk Craigslist for some unsuspecting fool to sell one for $50. It hasn’t happened yet, but it will. That credenza and gold tree are so fine! I think I need to pin it so I can gaze fondly at it at 2:00 am when I can’t sleep while I restlessly search chinoiserie or hollywood regency or cool asian rooms.
I’m a relatively new reader and phrases like “squirt out of ladytown” will keep me coming back for more!
The curtains are great! I like the sheerness. Your living room has come so far — don’t be so hard on yourself. I wish my oddly-sized room with tall ceilings, honey oak trim, and annoyingly necessary ceiling fans looked half as good. If you don’t get any takers on the wallpaper (I wish!) you should totally paper the inside of something unexpected for fun (closet? pantry?).
I love your living room, and think that back wall is sublime. I’m afraid if you painted it dark or blue or both, that awesome credenza would blend in too much. And have you been hiding that pagoda mirror and tree? Where have I been?? Your new curtains look perfect in your space – yay! Oh, and how much you want for that wallpaper? I want it so bad but have no clue where I would put it. Should I nix my dark powder room and go wallpaper? Good luck with the waiting on baby 2 to arrive. I had to schedule an induction with my second so I didn’t have to do the waiting game, but I know it’s never fun (mine are 3 years apart too, and I think it’s a great distance).
WOW! (yes, Im yelling that!) It all looks amazeballs & what you have accomplished in a year is very impressive!
Take this as you will seeing as I’m a total stranger, but….I feel like you are stressing hard on something that should be fun. And I think what you have already done is beautiful…no need to place so much pressure on yourself, at least from the perspective of this devoted reader
I think it looks great. Updates since last year…give yourself some serious props. Love the back wall, and that mirror is the business. I say take a chance, paint the wall, find a new rug, whatever you feel. You have fabulous pieces to work with…. PS. May be interested in the Thibaut wall paper. Can you email me the info?
We’ve been looking for a new house, most of which are ugly, and your before and after photos make me think even if we bought the dumbest 1995 house, it could be made to look cool like yours!
You kick ass!!! I looooove that gold tree. and the rug of course. Hope your little man makes his appearance soon!! “out of your ladytown”!!! (You are a comedic genius)
I dig the back wall (and the new curtains). I like the idea of a Hadley-esque paint treatment to draw more attention to all the cool things you have there.
I love it! It’s so peaceful and tranquil. Zen living room. And I love Chester, why do you want to dump him?
Looking soooo good. You have been hard at work. Just had a thought for those upper windows… What if you were to put single width shutters hinged from the top and then prop them open by about7 inches? Kind of make them go away, without giving up too much light?
Chester is farking up the flow… Hoping he’ll play well with my marble dining table when it finally gets here (again). I think I need two chairs or a low chaise over there.
MB, that’s a good idea — definitely one way to solve the architectural dilemma. I keep thinking we should do double height curtains at some point, then mount a ginormous mirror above the fireplace. And we may get rid of the fans… waiting through the summer to see how often we actually use them (not too often this summer).
Man, I love the chesterfield! Paint the wall pink.
You could do a “save the chesterfield” poll
um herllllloooooooo – this is looking GREAT! awesome deal on the drapery panels, and loving your use of textiles and rugs!
That’s it, I’m moving back to TX and in with you.
Man, your house looks so polished! I’m ashamed to say I have no baby or job and La Casa Diana still looks about the same as it did four years ago. Hats off!
And the mirror looks awesome where you’ve placed it. It’s definitely the house that makes the mirror, and not the other way around.
Still have that wallpaper??
Hi Catherine, I do. I’ll email you.
I would gladly take that Chesterfield off your hands and I’m in Austin.
LOVE those curtains too!
Love this room! General question – where do you find your lovely persian rugs? Any tips on sourcing affordable versions of these?
Hey Ashley, I use Ebay and craigslist. Mostly I favor Heriz and Malayer rugs… maybe those search terms will help you. Good luck, and thanks for commenting!
[...] 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 [...]
Hey, Aurelia the cushion seller from ETSY, thanks for showing my cushies on your site! Anyhoo, do you still have that fab wallpaper?
Aurelia
If you ever decide to part with your chesterfield (or that delicious camel colored couch) I’ll gladly take them off your hands. I’m in Arizona but I’m willing to road trip it to Texas for them
Erin,
Can you share what paint color you chose for your living room? I’m trying to choose a nice neutral for my open floor plan, too. You did a great job.
Lisa
Thanks lisa! It’s Benjamin Moore cappuccino froth at 50% strength.
Hi!
Let me know if you still have that wallpaper! I know I might be pushing my luck because it’s been a while…